The Dragon's Dare
by Brother Mirtillo
Summary: Although the pharaoh and Jounouchi differ greatly, they both entered Battle City to rediscover themselves. They found far more than they could have guessed. Dawn approaches, and it will herald their reunion and the fulfillment of their promise.


_Credit for the characters, locations, cards, and so on go to the one-of-a-kind Kazuki Takahashi and the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh! crew. Names for the cards will translate from the OCG, and their effects will follow their latest appearance in the anime as of this story. Finally, a big shout-out goes to the Yu-Jyo episode guides, which were a brilliant help for sketching the characters._

_Without further ado: showtime._

* * *

The pharaoh struggled to keep his breathing steady and his thoughts calm. There was no sound yet from the unbroken blackness enveloping him, nor any sign that Yuugi knew what he was doing. _There cannot be much time left,_ he thought. _Still, I ought not to worry him._ He brought his breath and heartbeat down to the right rhythm, thought only of what he needed in the darkness, and quickly turned on the spot.

He pointed, and a pair of torches sprang to life. He did not flinch as their searing light flanked a vertical stone tablet carved with the image of a lance-wielding man on horseback. _Gale Dark Knight Gaia..._

He turned again, maintaining a fluid pace as he pointed twice. Two by two, the next torches illuminated one image of a big-eyed furry imp, then the shape of a creature being copied in a countless row. _Kuribō... Multiplication._

Barely blinking, he spun in one smooth circle, hand and finger flicking three times. Six more flames lit up three more carvings, two of which bore horned, muscular, clawed creatures – _Baphomet, Fusion, Phantom Beast King Gazelle._

Breathing just once, he spun to a spot straight behind him. _Buster Blader._ The corner of his eye – _Black Magician Girl!_ Behind him again – _Black Magician!_

He dropped his arm and exhaled. The segments of dancing torchlight flitted across the tight brick floor and stone portraits, but his eyes focused somewhere beyond that. _They are ready. Now I must be ready._ He closed his eyes, but instead of restoring the darkness and letting the tablets rearrange themselves again, he willed the rest of the torches to light up the long hallway. _I will be as strong as I have to be, no matter what happens. That's my promise and my duty, and both he and I—_

A booming tone echoed throughout the crypt, then again, and again, a pulse that shook the stone walls every second.

His eyes flashed open, and he turned towards the heavy door of metal at the hall's lighter end. That door swung open as he faced it, and he strode forward with a will that blurred the distance past him...

He reappeared in the shadowy bedroom. He saw the blanket-shrouded form beside him reach up, fumble a hand across the nightstand, find the beeping alarm clock and click it silent. More rustling and bumps, and the lamp snapped on.

The teenager in the bed rolled over, then eventually sat up, rubbing an eye. His hair stuck out in spikes even more scattered than usual, but he straightened up as best he could when he saw the spirit of his twin standing and waiting. "Hmm? Oh... Hey, other me – just give me a second."

"There's no hurry, partner. We have time."

"Are you—" He covered up a yawn. "Are you sure? We can switch now."

The spirit prevented himself from stepping forward. "No, not yet. You should wake up at your own pace."

"Well, all right." Yuugi stood up, stretched, and padded across to the closet.

The spirit's eyes drifted to the desk, which was completely bare except for a stack of cards in its very center. Eventually, he wrenched his eyes away and chose to look out the windows instead. The city remained dark, save for a single pair of headlights rounding the corner, then receding again. He watched the red glows as far as they went, fainter and fainter, until they rounded a corner and vanished.

"Other me?"

He turned back as the room's overhead light switched on.

Yuugi had put on his school uniform that they'd hung up the previous night, a simple blue jacket and pants. Now, he placed around his neck the chain that bore their Puzzle, a seamless inverted pyramid of golden metal bearing the eye of Wdjat. "It's your turn now."

"Very well." He saw the Puzzle glow, and in a rush, his vision blanked out, refocusing with him viewing the world from his partner's body, with Yuugi's spirit standing and smiling alongside him. He immediately strode to the desk and sat down. With deft movements, he picked up the deck and dealt the cards out into face-up stacks and waves. _Most of my combinations are already set. I only need to change a few cards to be fully prepared._

\\\

The sheets tangled around his waist as the blond guy tossed, turned, and muttered in his sleep. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he breathed in sharply, staring at the wall for a few seconds before rolling over. He grunted at the utter lack of daylight outside the windows, then picked up the round alarm clock from the floor. He angled it at the streetlight's beam, scowled a bit, and rolled onto his back again, letting his arm droop and his gaze drift at the ceiling.

Then he clutched his eyes. _What's it matter how early it is? This is worth it._ Jounouchi switched off the clock, and swung his legs out of bed. He stepped lightly, navigating the cluttered floor without thinking about it, and he heard no waking grunts or squeaking bedsprings from the next room as he switched on his lamp.

His smile returned as he gently gathered up the pile of cards from a scuffed chair. He passed them one by one between his calloused hands, occasionally pausing and smiling. When he finished, he went back to his bed and tugged a box out from underneath. He searched the handful of cards inside, and then he leafed through his deck again, lips moving as he counted quietly. At the end, he nodded, squared his deck back up, and carefully closed the box before putting it back.

Another glance to the window, but it was still entirely dark, minus the streetlamp. He shrugged, then went to a corner and picked up a white and blue shirt from there, but he paused at the sight of its new wrinkles and lumps of dust. Tossing it back, he searched the room, occasionally angling a piece of clothing towards the light. Once, he sniffed a shirt and cast that aside without a glance. Finally, he checked the closet, reaching all the way in. Smiling, he pulled out a hanger, and the fact that it held his school uniform just made him chuckle.

He put on a white shirt with his uniform, and he pocketed his deck before strapping his folded-up duel disk onto his left wrist. He exited his room noiselessly, but the apartment remained silent. He crossed the flat carpet and creaking linoleum, shut the apartment door firmly behind him, and strode towards the glow of the exit sign.

_Here I come, other Yuugi. Bring it on._

\\\

Once more as a spirit, the pharaoh could only somewhat feel the quick breeze slice between the high buildings as his partner strode down the street. Some distance away, startled cats fled down the empty streets. Closer at hand, his partner's jacket fluttered a bit in the wind but remained firmly done up, and a hint of a smile on that steadfast face eased the pharaoh's heart. He turned his own eyes due east, glimpsing a solitary silhouette amidst the pavement and dormant buildings.

Vaguely, Jounouchi guessed that his ears and fingertips were cold, but he stood firm, arms at his sides. He'd known his route and which way street to face as easily at night as in day, and sure enough, a figure appeared now from the dimness. Come to think of it, the cold really wasn't so bad. As the air grew lighter, he felt his eyesight sharpen and his thudding pulse pick up a bit.

The sight of that figure in those clothes set the pharaoh remembering. _Jounouchi... I thank the gods for the day when my partner first stood for you._

_This is it, other Yuugi. After all we've pushed through, we're here._

The pharaoh felt the wind stirring again. _I have looked forward to this moment ever since you promised it, and I'm happy that our hopes have borne out._

_We've fought all kinds of battles together, and you bet I won't forget that._

His partner silently beckoned him forward, opening his jacket in one move and letting it fly back from their sleeveless black shirt. The pharaoh stepped into that smiling stride comfortably. _No matter what opponent has threatened you, your heart has never faltered. I have prepared my own heart, and I have every confidence that this battle will rise higher yet._

_Knowing you, though... If I'm any duelist at all, I'd have to aim for this. You and I both know that._

_Here and now—_

_Let's go._

They stood a few dozen feet away from each other, just looking. Calmly, the pharaoh noted, "You're early."

Jounouchi mirrored the easy tone. "That's all right. That just means the sun'll still be going up, even when we're done."

The pharaoh nodded as his eyes adjusted to the brightening sky ahead of him.

The sunlight began to glint off the topmost edges of the highest buildings. Jounouchi flexed his left arm, declaring, "Other Yuugi, our Battle City isn't over yet." The fins at the sides of his disk swung around, joining to form one platform facing his opponent, and his disk hummed to life.

The pharaoh smiled. "True." He activated his disk likewise as sunlight pushed the shadows ever further down.

Simultaneously, they slotted their decks into the centers of their disks, then drew five cards each. Over the rush of wind, their voices rang throughout the clear street.

"Duel!"

The pharaoh declared, "I'll go first. Draw!" He picked up one card, then chose a different one from his hand. "Activate spell card, Angel's Charity!"

Jounouchi nodded familiarly as his opponent drew three cards, then swiftly discarded two.

"I set one card, and I summon Queen's Knight in defense position!" One oversized holographic card appeared face-down before him. In front of that, a burst of light brought forth a blond woman in red armor. She kneeled, but she held her sword on guard, her youthful eyes alert and stern. (DEF: **1600**) "Turn end."

"All right, other Yuugi. Draw!" Jounouchi skimmed through his hand and called, "I'll set a card and summon Wyvern Warrior in attack position!" This glow brought out a lanky lizard standing on his hind legs. His toothy lower jaw jutted out, and one claw swung a jagged sword. (ATK: **1500**) "I end my turn."

"Draw." The pharaoh already had the next card ready, and the back of his mind confirmed, _He knows what's next._ "I change Queen's Knight to attack position, and I summon King's Knight in attack position!" She stood up and shifted her wrist just so, and next to her appeared a bearded man in yellow armor, his own sword out and ready. (ATK: **1600**) "With my knights together, I summon Jack's Knight from my deck!" The newest swordsman stood head and very broad shoulders above either of his allies, his clean-shaven face openly staring at his scaly target. (ATK: **1900**)

Jounouchi didn't flinch as the wind picked up around him, and his eyes remained on the pharoah's.

"Go, Jack's Knight – attack Wyvern Warrior!" The blue-armored knight dashed forward without a sound, pulling his sword back for the swing.

"Trap card, go – Chain-Equipped Boomerang!" The lizard's free claw clutched a chain that terminated in a curved, barbed hook of a blade, and he swung the new weapon like a lasso. Then, he grinned at the halted knight, and instead of throwing it, he simply caught his weapon in the chain-wrapped hand. (ATK: +500 = **2000**) "Get him – counterattack!" Crouching, the lizard pointed his sword, sprang forward, and– "What the hell?"

The pharaoh smiled to see Jounouchi's dazed face. All three of his knights were floating calmly a meter or so above the ground.

Meanwhile, the frantic lizard had only managed half of his leap before losing his grip and hovering. His arms and legs churned at thin air before he fell onto the pavement. (DEF: **1200**) Jounouchi shouted, "What's the deal here?"

The pharaoh pointed to his own trap. "Gravity Release causes the positions of all face-up monsters to switch." The blue, yellow, and red knights each dropped onto one knee. (DEF: **1500**) (DEF: **1400**) (DEF: **1600**) "I set two cards and end my turn." He folded his arms and stood calmly. _You've been using that trap for months, Jounouchi. It's the first I one I ever saw you use. What else will you show me?_

"All right, other Yuugi. Draw! I summon Iron Knight Gearfried, attack position!" From the light, a man charged forth, encased head to toe in black armor, and he raised the blade attached to the back of his arm. (ATK: **1800**)

_We're almost there, Jounouchi._ "Trap card, activate – Black Magic Revival Casket!"

"What? That means..."

The metal coffin marked with a cross stood next to the pharaoh, and the gem at its center shot red bolts at Iron Knight Gearfried and Queen's Knight. Both monsters became absorbed into the energy, and the coffin shook slightly and then creaked open.

"Rise to join our duel, Black Magician!"

A purple-robed man sprang out from it and landed to the field gradually. His keen eyes stared into Jounouchi's from beneath his pointed hat, and his slim fingers swung his green-jeweled staff with silent aim. (ATK: **2500**)

Jounouchi muttered, "A revival from Angel's Charity – I should've guessed." His eyes fell shut for a moment.

_Don't tell me you'd stop as easily as this._

His opponent's eyes flashed open with a renewed smile. "I change Wyvern Warrior to attack position!"

The pharaoh kept his face motionless as the lizard got to his feet.

"Now go, attack Jack's Knight!" His monster dashed forward, swinging his weapon high.

"Instant magic, Magical Silk Hat!" A six-foot-tall top hat appeared in the air, slammed down over the blue knight, and leapt to swallow the other two monsters as well. Sliding back and forth across the pharaoh's field, the hat left a trail of blurred afterimages, and gradually, these images sharpened into three new hats. With a whoosh, the four copies came to rest in a row.

Jonouchi chuckled, "Heh... come on, other Yuugi. It had to be _that_ card?"

"Choose wisely, Jounouchi."

"Yeah, because if I get the hat with Black Magician..." He waited only a second, and then he pointed to one end. "That one!" Claws tore across the pavement, the jagged blade ripped the fabric apart–

They had a brief view of King's Knight wincing before bursting into shards of light.

"Hmph. I set two cards. Your move, other Yuugi."

"Draw." He studied the card for the barest instant. "I change Jack's Knight to attack position and activate Brainwashing - Brain Control!"

Jounouchi's brown eyes opened very wide as a giant brain projected two psychic hands across the field. Wyvern Warrior's protesting face went slack as they clamped around him and pulled him alongside the giant hats.

"Wyvern Warrior, attack his life points directly!" The monster turned to his target, lifted one arm, and charged.

"Go, instant magic – Scapegoat!" Four balls of light sprang forth, and each one popped to become a tiny round sheep with stubby legs and horns. The sword sliced through one, which vanished with barely a sound.

"Good save, Jounouchi." The pharaoh pointed, and the hats opened up, two of them releasing the knight and wizard. Jack's Knight sprang forward and sliced through another sheep. Black Magician spun his staff in one hand before swinging it and launching a blast of searing magic.

The shockwave of his third lost monster made Jounouchi grit his teeth a bit. "Not so good..." He took a breath, looked back at his faraway monster, then met the pharaoh's eyes. "I've still got my chance, especially when your spell fades after this turn. Ready, other Yuugi?"

"Of course. And I'm not the only one."

"Huh? What are you...?"

The pharaoh picked out the card. "Go, Wyvern Warrior and Jack's Knight!" The two monsters vanished with a pulse. "Tribute summon!" He placed the card, and a column of blazing red erupted from the field. High above them at the heart of the column, a form became visible, dark and spiny. Two black wings unfolded from the dispersing fire, a scaly armored tail uncoiled, and the thin and sharp limbs stretched out. The long, pointed jaws exhaled warm air through countless fangs, and the black-horned head sighted its burning eyes on the one standing opposite him.

Jounouchi swallowed and stared back with shaking eyes.

As the roaring monster landed alongside the magician, the pharaoh called out, "This is where our true duel begins, Jounouchi. I summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"


End file.
